


I Found You

by bananzer



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23571175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananzer/pseuds/bananzer
Summary: Elves have a name, written on their left wrist, black script with the name of their Intended.Dwarves have a phrase above their heart, the first words their One will ever speak to them.Hobbits have a black mark somewhere on their bodies, the first place they will ever touch their Heartmate, that explodes into a riot of colors on contact.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins & Original Female Character(s), Fíli & Kíli (Tolkien), Fíli (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s), Kíli (Tolkien)/Tauriel (Hobbit Movies)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	I Found You

**Author's Note:**

> So I tried something new with a constantly shifting POV.... IDK what I feel about it, so let me know what you think! Comments greatly appreciated!
> 
> A friend wrote a bilbo/bofur story in this universe that I highly recommend checking out!

Cassia has her black mark around her fingers, as if someone is going to take her hand and hold it gently. Whenever someone touches her hand, she looks excitedly down to see if there is a change. There never is, and sometimes she begins to despair, because she is nearly 33 and with no heartmate in sight. Then she remembers the black mark on her brother's fourth and pinkie fingers, and the black mark on her friend Delphinia's bicep, and remembers that all is not lost.

.

"Make sure to wipe your boots. I just swept," is such an utterly mundane phrase, but it's the one on Fili's chest. How many times a day is a troublesome young dwarf such as himself told to wipe his boots? Far too many for it to be special! What if he finds his One but the phrasing they use is so common to what he's used to he doesn't know! The thought plagues him daily, and he takes special care to listen to whatever people say to him, and their exact phrasing.

.

The hobbit, Mr. Baggins, is spluttering indignantly, as Fili and Kili barge into the foyer. There's a slight commotion in the hallway, and a lass pokes her head out of a room. She studies the two of them for a moment, then says, "make sure to wipe your boots. I just swept."

Fili stops in his tracks, the words above his heart tingling warmly. This is she. This is his One. An unassuming hobbit lass with dark curls and a sweet smile.

"...that's my brother," Kili is saying. Fili pushes past him and takes the lass's hand in his. 

"Fili," he says, kissing the back of it. "And I am entirely at your service, miss."

.

Her whole hand starts tingling the instant he takes it, blue eyes searching her face, like he's trying to memorize it. She barely hears his name before he's pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Is this…? He can't be. 

"I'm Cassia Baggins," she says dazedly. "At yours."

He doesn't let go of her hand, still holding it lightly. She looks down. Through his workworn fingers is an explosion of bright colors on her own, blues and pinks and yellows. 

"I think—" he starts.

"I know," she says. 

He looks down at their hands then, too, releasing her fingers slowly so her hand is resting atop his palm. His eyes widen slightly at the sight of the colors and he looks back up at her.

"Is that—?"

"You're my Heartmate," she blurts, beaming. 

"My One," he breathes. "I knew it as soon as you spoke. You said my words, I… it's _you_."

She can't stop smiling, full to bursting with joy. "I thought I'd never find you!" She laughs, "but I did! I found you! You're here!"

"I'm here!" He replies, grinning now, too. Oh, he has a lovely smile, all dimples and scrunched up nose and wrinkles 'round his eyes. Like the sun. Like happiness.

She can't help but throw her arms around his neck. 

.

For a few dizzying moments all he can sense is her, her soft body and flowery perfume and excited laugh, and he hugs back, tightly, swinging her around, before quite suddenly realizing that they have an audience. He sets her down with a thump, his ears burning hot and probably turning a vibrant shade of scarlet. His brother and her brother and Balin and Dwalin are staring.

Balin is the first to speak. "So you've found her then, eh, lad?"

Fili looks down at Cassia. She still has one arm around his neck, the other pressed against his chest. The colors on her fingers really are lovely, like streaks of paint. "Aye," he says. "I suppose I have."

"Look, Bilbo," she says breathlessly, taking her hand off his chest, "look! See?"

"I see," her brother says drily. He doesn't seem too thrilled about Fili, but Cassia laughs. 

"You think you could tone down the enthusiasm there?" She says sarcastically, "you'll make someone uncomfortable!"

She pulls away from Fili (he already misses her) and runs to her brother, throwing her arms around him. 

And then, the others come, and he's pulled away from her for a good long while, restricted to looks from across the room, he spins her around in a jig for a few seconds, catches her from falling, and each time, each time he almost pulls her off to a private space to just talk to her, to get to know her, but each time something else comes up. It's infuriating. He just wants to talk to her. Sometime after her brother faints and before he wakes up, he loses his patience and retreats outside, hoping she'll come find him.

.

He's sitting on the bench by the door, smoking his pipe, a pensive expression on his face. Cassia sits down next to him. He looks down at her and smiles, expression instantly softening.

"How'd you know?" She asks him.

"Know what?"

"You said you knew we were soulmates as soon as I spoke. How?"

"Oh," he reaches up and places a hand on his chest, just over his heart. "We dwarves are born with the first words our One will ever say to us carved into our skin, just over our hearts. Legend says Mahal himself chisels the words into our bodies when he carves us from stone."

"Wait, dwarves are actually carved from stone?"

"The first dwarves were. Not anymore, though. We’re born like normal babies.”

“Oh.” She looks down at her hands, admiring the colors on her fingers. “What are your words?”

“Don’t you know? You said them!”

Cassia blushes. “I say lots of things! I honestly don’t remember the first thing I said to you! Was it something about your boots?”

He laughs, stretching his arm behind her on the back of the bench. “It was. It’s ‘make sure to wipe your boots, I just swept’.”

“Oh, goodness,” Cassia says. “That’s so…”

“Mundane?”

“I was going to say stuffy. I promise I’m not actually like that!”

“I know you aren’t. I don't think you are."

"Can… can I see your soulmark?"

"Aye," he says, "you may. It's on my chest though."

"I don't mind," she says. "If you don't mind, that is."

In response, he unlaces the neck of his tunic and pulls it down.

He was right about using the words 'carved into our skin', as the words on his chest, shimmering pale gold, do look carved. Embedded. Imprinted into his skin. 

.

Fili shivers slightly, not from the cold, the night is warm, but from the feeling of her eyes on him. She studies his soulmark in the weak light of the window behind them, leaning closer. 

"I can't read it," she says.

"Aye," he murmurs, looking down at her, "it's in the dwarvish script."

"Its beautiful," she breathes, reaching out with her painted hand. She places her fingertips over the word 'your', almost without thinking, and the instant their soul marks touch, there's a spark, a tingle, that shoots through both their bodies. They both suck in a sharp breath, jerking back from each other, staring with wide eyes. 

"Did you—?" She starts.

"Aye," he interrupts. 

"I didn't know—."

"Me neither! It—."

Then they both break off laughing. She has an adorable laugh, breathless and giggly and he knows, he _knows_ , that even in a world without soulmates, he'd be falling in love with her. Just as he is now.

"I didn't know that could happen!" She gasps. "I've never heard of something like that happening when soulmarks touch."

"Me either," he says. "Maybe because dwarven soulmarks only touch in very… intimate situations."

She giggles. "I suppose."

She leans forward again, one hand on his thigh, to study his soulmark again. He, in turn, studies her face.

"Will you come with us?" He asks suddenly.

.

Cassia looks up at him. He's watching her with a slight furrow to his brow.

"Sorry?" She asks.

"Are you coming with us. On the Quest, I mean."

She sits back. "Well, of course! I've always wanted an adventure and now is as good a time as ever, I think."

He frowns harder at that, sitting back against the bench and taking a long draw from his pipe.

"What's wrong with wanting an adventure?" She asks indignantly. "We may be Heartmates… or Ones as you say, but we've only just met! I've wanted this for ages, you can't take it away from me. You can't just… tell me what to do and expect me to listen!"

"Of course I don't expect that, lass," he says, putting his hand on her thigh. "Cassia, that didn't even occur to me. My only concern is your safety. Not controlling you."

"O-oh."

He strokes her knee lightly with his thumb, studying her face. "It's dangerous, the outside world. Cruel in many ways. Not like here."

"Do you think I can't handle cruelty?"

"Can you?"

"I'm made of sterner stuff than I look, you know."

"I'm sure you are," he says, "but that doesn't mean I don't want to protect you. From legitimate danger, as well as something as minor as my uncle saying something insensitive. Because Mahal knows he'll say _something_ rude."

Cassia giggles at that, placing her hand over his. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I've no objections to you protecting me. As long as you don't try to control me. I'm going on this quest. You can't make me stay."

"Then promise me to at least stay close to me, so I _can_ protect you."

"That I can do."

He draws her hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it. 

"Can I kiss you?" She asks. "For real?"

He weaves his fingers through hers and leans in until their noses are brushing. "Aye," he breathes.

So she does. Right on the lips, not bothering to pause and think about it, so she doesn't chicken out, and it's a little clumsy and somewhat awkward, but also perfect, and she knows then, this is where she belongs. She found what she was looking for.

"I'm glad I found you," he murmurs.

"Me too," she replies. "Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU of an AU... check out my series An Extra Burglar to know more --> https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539769

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Crochet or Croquet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254002) by [WhiteFireDaydreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteFireDaydreams/pseuds/WhiteFireDaydreams)




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